This is that very magical time of year where the trees take on a certain sparkle and tinsel starts to grace shop windows. Autumnal tones start to give way to winter whites, forest greens, and cranberry reds. So, I do as any normal vintage-loving girl would do: Fight back hard with the brightest hues I can find in my closet…
As most of you know by now, I’m a planner. But I can’t help it when life (a little more than) occasionally goes awry. A short while back, I was set to give a rather important presentation to my Department. This was but one task on the long winding road to tenure. And I’d planned the day out oh-so-carefully. My talk was polished, but not over-rehearsed. I planned a time buffer to get to the room early to check out the IT setup. I packed adapters, and power cords, and even a backup laser pointer (should the first one fail).…
More and more lately, I’ve been seeing posts about the capsule wardrobe, which is essentially a small collection of items made up of versatile, interchangeable garments that you can mix and match and create 3,765 outfits. I attribute its resurgence to the Marie-Kondo-style trimming of the fashion fat and parring down your closet to the joy-giving essentials – black pants, a pencil skirt, well worn jeans, the neutral pump. It’s your closet, cut back to a simple shell of clothing that can be worn every day and every season with a few minor changes. Hmmm… an excellent idea in theory. However,…
There are certain garments and certain accessories that were simply meant to be together – although I can embrace a good push/pull in my styling (tough meets sweet, classic meets edgy, leather meets florals), I must admit that I’m a gal who loves her themes. My hands itch to pair gingham and strawberries or a floral print with a floral brooch with floral shoes…yeah, you get the idea. So, when I saw this vintage 1950’s piano-themed skirt pop up at Xtabay Vintage, I knew that I had its mate in the form of the most perfect Mary Frances handbag. I think…
I have a semi-regular dinner with my closest girlfriends here in NC – although it can ebb and flow depending on our collective schedules, we generally converge once every two weeks or so. It’s the kind of get together that’s very low pressure – we have some insanely amazing chefs in the group who can always be counted on to cook something mouth-watering. And then there are others who very capable of instigating the imbibing. Needless to say, I’m usually in charge of wine (I’m okay with that – it’s all about embracing your strengths people!). But, we’re always looking…
The changing of the seasons is always such an interesting time of year. Here in NC, it’s almost like a constant stop and start. Ohhh, yay, it’s Autumn! Nope, just kidding, Summer…. Hello Fall! Well, that was a nice hour, but let’s go back to a sweltering 90 degrees. As crazy as the to and fro can be, I’ve decided to just roll with the punches and revel in the fact that my summer sundresses get another few weeks of freedom. I mean, if NC wants to be in bloom in October, who am I to argue?
More and more lately, I have found myself reaching out to people who can do amazing things I have no idea how to do. Artists whose art is very different from mine. Although it once intimidated me, I realized that most of us crave that connection and that ability to share the joy we each find in our individual art. Plus, the worst that can happen is that they’ll say no! I’ve found that in taking the leap towards the merging of ideas, incredible things can be created. This can range from working with graphic artists to design a print…
I am one of those people who lives and dies by my daily planner. To Do lists, meetings, tasks, all carefully transcribed into the pages, forming a timeline of my day to day. And although that might sound stressful to some, I love my timeline. I love the organization and the planning. I like setting goals and crossing them off with relish. I love that satisfying day where everything runs like clockwork. I guess it was only a matter of time before I became a veritable clock…
In times of crisis, I think we tend to go on auto pilot. We tamp down feelings of fear and insecurity, and then slip into a mode of Get It Done. At least I know I do. This past week we had to deal with a hurricane bearing down on us. And you could almost feel the shift. Fight or Flight. Stay or Evacuate. Stock up on supplies, secure any outdoor furniture, cover the vintage with plastic (oh, just me?). After the crisis has passed, there’s usually a period of euphoria. Where the flowers smell sweeter and we are so…
Many moons ago, I simply decided that femininity and strength were not going to be mutually exclusive ideas. That’s actually one of the great secrets of self-acceptance – we can simply decide these things. And I set out on a one-woman mission to find subversiveness in beauty. Power in vulnerability. That strength exists in the delicate arch of a flower petal. That heels a weapon of mass destruction. A full skirt my power suit.